Almost, but Not Quite
by illbeyourhimitsu
Summary: Three almost-but-not-quite moments Jeff and Annie have: one from each season. Will be continued with more 'almost' moments, but non canon. Previously named 'Hi, this is Annie, please leave a message.'
1. Sexual Prospects

1x15

"They're just jealous." Troy and Abed said in unison, as the study group's strange bickering over sexual remarks went on, Troy placing his hand near Abed in what he hoped was a comforting way.

"Alright, alright," Jeff said, outstretching his hands, "Maybe we're not a family. Maybe it's more complicated, because unlike a real family there is nothing to stop any one of us from looking at any of the others as a sexual…prospect…" He curled his fingers into fists. Maybe…that wasn't the right thing to say.

The group took a moment for that to sink in, and then…well, they looked at each other. In perhaps, a sexual prospect.

Pierce looked at Shirley, who looked away in immediate discomfort. She glanced at Jeff, who thought, _Er, awkward, _and looked over to his right. He and Britta locked eyes for a moment, until she looked to _her _right, at Abed, who wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, his mouth in a tight line. _Nu-uh, _Britta thought, and looked across the table at Annie. Annie smiled sweetly, and tilted her head. Britta began to do the same, then she realised, and gasped. Annie gasped similarly, and looked to Troy, who raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. He turned to glance at Shirley, who nodded, and Troy considered it for a moment. Annie sighed, _Unbelievable. _Then locked gazes with Pierce. Um, no, and she rolled her eyes over to her right. Jeff. Annie softened, wondered if Jeff had ever really thought of _her _that way. If he had, well, maybe…they could be together? Vaughn was sweet, but he wasn't…Jeff. She knew that if she broke up with Vaughn, they would probably never speak again. But with Jeff, he couldn't, because they were in the same study group, and if he broke up with her, that would be awkward. So he would have to stay with her, right? Jeff smiled at her. _Wonderful Annie_, he thought. Uncomplicated. He felt a stare across from him. He looked, and then…

Abed wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at him, like he had at Britta, except now he had a mischievous smile on his face.

Moment ruined. Annie noticed.

"Why are we even talking about this?!"

* * *

**A/N: Well, I was watching some more Community, and this seemed similar to the other thing I wrote. **

**This is from 1x15, by the way, which is the episode where Annie starts dating Vaughn, and Pierce tries to be funny.**


	2. Prop Guns

2x09

As the fort collapsed around them, they moved unknowingly closer to each other. When they noticed, they glanced at each other, noting their proximity. An afternoon of pretend-shooting each other and conspiracy wasn't really Annie's idea of a date. Especially not with the Dean there. She still had a hunch that the Dean had a crush on Jeff. Though she did appreciate Jeff's praise of her he told to the rest of the group.

It wasn't really a date in the first place, but Annie wished it had been. After two years of 'will they, won't they,' she had really been wishing for Jeff to do something, say something. It was making her feel insecure. It really did feel like she had become a buried secret over the summer. She liked her

She had said that her earlier confession was just a ploy for the ongoing conspiracy, going "off-script", but she had been swept away by the act.

Annie looked into Jeff's eyes, telling herself that he _hadn't _just glimpsed at her lips. She inched a little closer. Today, Jeff had saved her, acted with her, shot her and had been shot by her…it was okay if she gave him a little thank-you kiss, right?

But then, "Guys? Is everyone alright?" Troy called out, and somebody else was pulling the blankets away. They made Annie's hair fuzzy with static electricity. She couldn't see Jeff anymore. It turned dark.

"Man, this hairdo took me longer than the time it took to make this damn blanket fort." Jeff whined, and Annie could imagine his face in set in a scowl.

"Everybody who's alive sound off." Abed said from somewhere underneath the blankets.

Annie frowned, "What do you mean, 'sound off?'" Everyone was asking.

"We're okay, Abed." She said, and at the same time, she could hear Jeff say the same thing somewhere near her.

"Jeff?" She said, as she felt someone take her hand. Annie bit her lip. The tough-guy thing was just an act, of course it was, "Jeff, it's-" The lights went on.

"Chang?!"

"I'm scared of the dark. Hold me." Chang whispered, clutching her hand tightly.

She grimaced, and pulled her hand out of his grip. Where did Jeff go?

It was the almost-but-not-quite moments they had like these that she hated.

* * *

**A/N: I'm baaack...to post a new chapter! This is all in the right order now. **

**For the guest who said, 'Where to next, Inspector?', you deserve all the awards. **

**I apologise for my time-travelling. **


	3. Voicemails

3x15

Jeff had been in love many times before. He was an adult, after all, and a reasonably attractive man.. It wasn't too much of an understatement to say that women fell at his feet to be with him.

Girls had always liked him. Even since kindergarten. Jeff would smile at the memories of meaningless flowers girls would give him.

That was the truth of it. Life, and love were easy. Or maybe it was girls that were simple to him. Easy to manipulate. Harsh, but true. How many times did he lie to a girl to get into a girl's pants just because he could? It wasn't as if he had to. He was a hot-shot lawyer, attractive, moderately wealthy…he barely needed to try. The most he'd have to do was maybe buy a girl a drink first.

That all changed when he became an _ex_-lawyer. When his licence was revoked and he had to go to Greendale Community College. _Community college, _for god's sake.

And suddenly 'getting some' meant a whole new plan. As if could let people know he was a student. It didn't work out with Professor Slater, and it barely even worked in the first place because he was a student, and he _never _wanted a repeat of the STD fair.

Of all the things to be, a student at his age? It really didn't help his sex life.

But he coped with it. He somehow managed to get just as many phone numbers, but less actual sexual activities. And there was Britta. Smart, beautiful, infuriating Britta. Playing hard to get…as the first hot girl Jeff had seen on campus, it was his duty to sleep with her. Unlike basically every other girl ever, she hadn't fallen for his charms, though, and life sucked. As somebody attractive, as someone who could, as a player, Jeff had failed.

She wasn't the only hot girl at the school, and he moved on. Professor Slater was awesome. Good sex once a day, and it actually lasted. For a while. And then there were other girls, other hook-ups, but for some reason, it always came back to Greendale. His love/sex life, that is. Jeff wanted the world to swallow him up and never show his face ever again.

Girls confessing their love for him was one thing he did not like, want, nor appreciate. It was exhausting, and confusing. One thing Jeff hated the most was getting himself involved into other people's affairs. They sucked about a hundred percent more when other people's affairs included him.

Nor did he want to choose between Britta and Slater. It might've been because he really didn't love either of them.

So Jeff really didn't know why he kissed Annie. After everything, it seemed simple to steal a kiss from a cute girl who was in his study group. A really sweet, clever girl. The last time he had kissed her, it was glorious. Why not do it again?

Ah, wait, of course he knew. She was young, naïve, inexperienced, and she had those damn doe-eyes. Britta was just a hookup. With Annie, it was committing. Falling in love. Something he tended to avoid.

Maybe that was just what he needed. Someone still with a bit of innocence left in her.

As he sat at home, Jeff spun his phone around in his hand, wondering if he should do this. Risk his friendship with Annie.

No, he thought. He wasn't going to wuss out now after deciding that he had to at least try. Jeff was going to ask Annie out on a date. Jeff was going to date her.

Jeff hit the buttons on his phone, finding Annie at the top of his list. Taking a quick breath, he hit the call button. He waited.

And then-

"Blade, sup. Message."

Jeff threw his phone down on the floor. He had the right number; he'd texted Annie a million times. So why? Nope. Not thinking about it.

He decided to text her instead.

_Annie, change your voicemail._

She never asked why he'd called her.

* * *

**A/N: Just so you know, I don't mean to bash Britta. I love her just as much as Annie, or Jeff. Just so you know.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading! I was watching Blade's episode and wondering, 'I wonder what would happen if Annie forgot to change her voicemail back.'**

**And I've wanted to write some Jeff/Annie for a while, so two birds with one stone, yes?**


	4. Pirates

It was Talk Like A Pirate Day, and somehow, Jeff found himself wearing a long jacket, a puffy white shirt, a crappy blue vest, boots, and a black pirate hat with a feather sticking out. He wore a scarlet bandana underneath his hat. His hat, Jeff thought with a grimace, which was much too large for his head. He crossed his arms. Why was he doing this again? Oh, yeah. Troy and Abed. They were in the study room, and everyone was in a similar pirate outfit. Jeff constantly where they and the rest of campus always got their elaborate costumes from.

Troy and Abed were wearing matching outfits like Jeff's, save for the hat and jacket; Annie was wearing a puffy dress much like Jeff's shirt, except with a corset (Jeff wondered how she could breathe; he'd seen Pirates of the Caribbean, after all), and her hair was loose and wild, which he liked the look of; Britta's outfit was also similar to Jeff's, without a vest, but even so, he had mistaken her for a man when he had first arrived; Shirley was wearing another priest's outfit like paintball, and Pierce was wearing some kind of Chinese pirate's outfit.

"Alright, crew, this is what we'll be doing today." Troy announced, pointing to a chalkboard he and Abed had set up in the study room. With a fake sword, he tapped the board at 'Role play.' "Abed, if you'd explain."

"We've assigned each of you a role to play," Abed elaborated while Troy handed out cards to each of the group, "We're going to do something, and you've each got to act depending on your character. Annie, you're the damsel in distress."

Annie giggled, pleased. Britta rolled her eyes at her.

"You know pirates were sexist," The entire group groaned, "And there was only a handful of female pirates?"

"Nobody cares, Britta."

"Jeff is the pirate captain, Britta's first mate," ("Why am I second in command? Is it because I'm a woman?!") Shirley's a sailor, Pierce is trying to get Annie for the reward money, and we're part of Jeff's crew." Abed finished.

"Abed, why are we doing this?" Jeff complained, "It's _Talk _Like A Pirate Day, not _Be _A Pirate Day."

Britta and Shirley nodded in agreement, while Pierce gazed off into the distance.

"I don't know, guys, this sounds like fun." Annie beamed.

"What are we supposed to do? Run around the library like idiots till we get thrown out?" Jeff asked.

"No, Annie's gonna hide the treasure, hide, and then she's gonna give us hints when you find her. We have to follow the hints to the treasure." Under a hushed breath Troy whispered to Annie, "Don't worry, me and Abed already arranged everything for you so you can just give whoever finds you first the hint and go with them."

"Oh." Annie smiled.

"I'm not doing this." Jeff muttered, taking off his hat.

"I think we have to do it." Troy whispered to Abed, who nodded.

"I think so."

Then Abed and Troy grabbed Annie's arms and pulled her backwards with them. Jeff froze, slowly turning to face them. Troy, Abed, and Annie stood by the back door, Troy's hand on the door, ready to rush out at any time.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jeff growled, the way did when he was mad.

Abed pulled out his toy gun and pointed it at him, "We're gonna make this little lass ours. So unless you hand us the treasure, we'll be keepin' her as our slave." He put on his best pirate-y accent, "Arr…" He added, as an afterthought.

Jeff spluttered, "But we don't have any treasure!"

"Then you'd best be on your way." Troy grinned, rolling the r.

"I hope to god that gold tooth isn't real, Troy."

"How do we get the treasure?" Pierce spoke up.

"Here's the first clue," Annie held out a piece of paper, which Britta swiped from her hand, "I guess you've got to figure out the rest yourself," Troy and Abed glared at her, "Oh, please, rescue me from these…scoundrels!"

And then Troy and Abed ran out of the room, laughing theatrically, and Annie giving a little wave.

_One whose guise varies from day to day,  
Holds the key to send you on your way._

"What the heck does that mean?" Britta asked, scrunching her nose and mouth in confusion.

Jeff sighed, exasperated. Troy and Abed were the ones who got excited about these kinds of things. And if they weren't present, Annie was the thinker. He read over the lines a few more times.  
"I think I know who we have to go to."

Britta, Pierce and Shirley glanced at him, "Who?"

"The Dean."

They all groaned, knowing what to expect.

* * *

Jeff sat in his chair in the study room, a large bag of chocolate coins on the table. After running all over campus after hints from an unbelievably-indecent-pirate-woman-costume-wearing Dean, and the other professors, most of them also wearing strange outfits, they'd found a sack under the Luis Guzmán statue.

"That was the crappiest treasure hunt I have ever done." Jeff said, looking through the sack in case there was anything hidden inside. Which there wasn't.

"Wasn't it Troy and Abed who created the trail?" Shirley asked in her sweet voice, also sitting in her usual seat.

Pierce scoffed, "You'd think they'd be able to come up with something better."

"Hey!" Britta exclaimed, "I'm sure they worked really hard on it."

Jeff rolled his eyes and checked his phone, "I texted them to meet us. They should be here by now."

As if on cue, Troy and Abed pushed the doors open dramatically and sauntered in, Annie following behind, her hands bound by a flimsy looking rope.

"Do youse have the booty?" Abed growled, his toy sword in hand. Jeff stood, lifting the sack. He threw it to the ground in front of Troy's feet. It broke open and the coins tumbled out.

"There's your stupid treasure. Now give Annie back."

Abed raised an eyebrow, and twirled his stick-on moustache, "Give her back, ye say? Claim this lass as yours, do ya?" He really was going over the top with this pirate speak.

"I mean, let her go."

Abed swung his sword in a slicing motion; to the left, up, and then down, pointing it directly at Jeff's nose, "Unfortunately, I'll not be releasin' the dear lass quite yet."

In response, Jeff drew his own toy sword, and whacked it against Abed's, forcing Abed to draw back and hold his sword up against his chest in defence.

"I beat you, you let her go. Savvy?" The pirate speak was getting to him.

Abed smirked, "Aye." Then he strode forward swiftly and smacked his sword against Jeff's, who held firm, forcing Abed's back like a arm wrestling match. Abed hopped back and poked his sword in Jeff's gut.

"Ow! You cheated!" Jeff complained, wrapping an arm around his torso.

"Pirate." Abed stated, and Troy squealed. Everyone stared at him.

"What?"

Jeff hit his sword against Abed's repeatedly, as Abed did the same. Jeff huffed with each swing, inching closer while Abed was forced reverse.

"You can beat him, Abed!" Troy shouted, and the others started cheering also. Mainly for him, though, Jeff thought with a sneer. In his moment of distraction, Abed slashed across his chest harshly, and Jeff stepped backwards quickly and tripped over his own feet. He fell, his elbows getting carpet burns as he skidded on the floor. Abed pointed his sword in Jeff's face as he winced in pain.

"Looks like I win this match, Winger." He murmured. The group jeered, save for Troy, who was jumping up and down in glee. Annie stared at him in concern.

Jeff tightened his grip on his sword, rose to his feet and, once more, with as much force as he could muster, swiped his sword against Abed's. Sending it flying out of Abed's hand, it landed somewhere by the couch.

"Looks like I win this match, Nadir." Jeff announced. The group cheered, except for Troy, who ran to Abed and put a hand around his shoulder.

"It's okay, buddy. You'll get him next time." Troy muttered to him, while Jeff sheathed his sword, and went to Annie and untied the rope around her hands.

"You alright, milady?" He grinned at her.

Annie smiled in reply, "Fine now, milord." They looked at each other, while the group conferred other their day.

Britta was asking Troy about the treasure hunt; lifting the sack off the ground, gathering the coins and handing it to him as she did so. Abed had collected his sword and was play fighting Pierce. Shirley was rolling her eyes at the lot of them.

"My deepest gratitude for rescuing me." Annie curtseyed. Jeff took off his hat and enfolded it around his torso, bowing to her. He was trying not to stare at her, but her lips were looking awfully tempting, when-

"I've been hit!" Jeff and Annie whipped their heads around to see Pierce rolling on the floor, his face writhing in agony. Well, fake agony.

Abed was holding out his toy gun. He brought it to his lips and blew at imaginary smoke, "Arr…"

Shirley took the moment to walk over to Annie and ask if she was alright, and she hoped that the boys didn't do anything indecent to her while they were alone. Annie reminded her that she already lived with them. Shirley sighed, but didn't seem convinced as she watched Abed and Pierce in disdain.

Jeff went to Abed and took one last glance at Annie before asking if he wanted another round.

_Another ruined moment_, he thought.

* * *

**A/N: Talk Like A Pirate Day is on September 19th, for those who care.**

** I apologise that this took me so long to write. It was fairly difficult. I appreciate the writers of Community a lot more now.**

**By the way, I haven't written many action scenes, so I'm _hoping _that this is satisfactory. I did have to rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean to finish this.**

**Next up, the study group go to a gay bar. **


End file.
